Can-end curling and stacking mechanism



All. 309

W. CAMERON CAI m-(IURLIIG AND STACKING IECHAHISI FilOd Sept. 2. 1924 5 Shuts-S110". 1

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W. CAMERON CAI 8ND CURLIIG AND STACKIKG IBCHMIISI Filed Sept. 2, 1924 5 Snail-shalt 2 .fiuBnZZr: Milka/v2 Warm gum Aug. 30. 1927.

1927' w. CAMERON CA! D MING AND STACKINQ M15! Filed Sept. 2. 1924 5 Shuts-Shut 3 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 W. CAMERON Filed Sept. 2, 1924 fwe v (Z/z'llz'am zmervn. 5, M

GA! m CURLXIG AND STACKINO IECHANISI Aug. 30, 1927.

- 1,640,979 Aug. 30, 1927. w. CAMERON CAN 8ND CU'HLINO AND STACKINO IECBANISI Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM CAMERON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB. .lO CAMERON CAN mama? COMPANY, 01' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 01' ILLINOIS.

CAN-END CUB-LING AND STACKDXG MECHANISM.

Application ma fleptember a. 1m Seflll Io. 788,287.

This invention relates to the manufacture cut employs an inclined can end conducting chute, the upper end of which receives the can ends directly from a die press in which they are stamped out, a pair of co-operating flan e curling rollers disposed transversely of t e chute intermediate its ends, between which the can ends travel in succession and have their flanges rolled, and mechanism in cluding a pair of continuously rotating s irals and a magazine at the lower end of t e chute for staelring the curled can ends. I have found in practice that the can ends, as they slide by gravity down the chute into "the nip of the curling rollers sometimes rebound from the latter and collide with the next following can end, thus producing a jam in the machine. One object of my presau ent invention is to provide a'simple means for insuring the proper engagement of each can end with the curling rollers as it enters the grip of the latter, thus insuring the continuous proper functioning of the mechanism.

I have also found in practice that, while a single pair of curling rollers in many instances is sufiicient to effect a satisfactory curling of the flanges, nevertheless with some sizes and thicknesses of metal, it is dillicult if not impossible to obtain a perfect curl of the flange with the single pair of curling rollers heretofore employed and shown in my former patent above-identified. Another object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a mechanism which will insure the complete and perfect curlin of the flanges in all cases. and to this en my present invention employs, in addition to the initial pair of curling rollers which serve to partially form the curled flange, a second pair of finishing rollers located beyond the first pair, which efl'ect the final shaping of the curled flange.

Another feature of my former patent consists in means by which both the curling rollers and the stackin screws or spirals and the ma azine are a justed to accommodate can en of widely varying diameters. My present invention also embodies this feature, extending it to the second or finishing pair of curling rollers.

Other novel features of my present invention reside in means for driving the second pair of curling rollers from the first pair which permits adjustment of both pairs to accommodate can ends of varying diameters without dizturbing the driving mechanism, and means for driving the can end feeding device, which latter preferably takes the form of a rotary brush journaled above and on an axis transverse to the axis of the chute, the periphery of the brush acting to frictionally engage and sweep the can ends successively into and through the first pair of curling rollers.

Still other objects and inherent advantages of this invention will be apparent to person: skilled in the art as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, with the upper end of the guide chute broken off;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the line 4-1 of Fig. 3;

F ig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of a can end before the same is subjected to the curling operation;

7 Fig. 7 is a similar view of the can end and one of the first pair of curling rollers, showing the modification of the flange elfected by said rollers; and

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the can end and one of the second pair of curling rollers. illustrating the finishing action of the latter.

Referring now to the drawings more indetail, reference character llindicates generally the base or frame of the machine which, as will be apparent from Fig. l, sltzfies downwardly from front to rear, provi 'ng an inclined top or table 12 upon which the curling operations are performed and beneath and at one side of which the driving mechanisms are mounted The uper end of the base is provided with an inclined extension 13 bolted or otherwise secured thereto, and upon this extension there is fulcrumed upon a bar or shaft 14, a forwardly extending arm 15 which is adjustably supported at any desired inclination by a pair of set screws or abutment screws 16 threaded through rearwardly pro ecting arms 17 on the member 15 and adapted to engage beneath the extension 13. Upon the outer end of the arm 15 there is mounted a plate 18, which ma be adjusted to pro ect into proximit to e lower die 19 o a die press by whic the can ends are unched out from a sheet of metal, the ends being adapted to drop onto the plate 18 and slide down the arm 15, the extension 13, and the table 12 by gravity.

The arm 15 isequipped with ad'ustably mounted side plates 19 forming tween them a guide channel for the can ends, indicated at 20, and likewise the extension 13 is provided with adjustable side plates 21 ormin a continuation of the channel. The adjusta ility of these side plates enables the channel to be widened or narrowed to accommodate can ends of various sizes which may be required. This channel provides, therefore, an inclined chute down which the can ends will travel from the die press to the flange carrying and can end stacking mechanisms, which will now be described.

On opposite sides of the chute just beyond the lower ends of the side bars 21 are rotatabl mounted a pair of curling rollers 22 an 23. These rollers are rapidly rotated both in the same angular direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4, by driving mechanism which will be later described;

and each roller, as best shown in Fig. 7, is

provided on its periphery with a curling groove disposed at the roper height to reeeive and engage with the depending tlanue of a can end traveling down the chute. 1n the case of the rollers 22 and 23 the groove com rises an upwardly inclined portion 24 an a flat top portion 25 disposed perpendicularly to the axis of rotation of the roller. The rollers 22 and :23 are so spaced on the machine that the distance between the open sides or mouths of the grooves is less than the maximum diameter of the can ends to be operated upon; and as the latter travel in succession down the chute into and between these rapidly revolving rollers, the action of the rollers causes the can end to spin or revolve between them until the flange 20 has been bent inwardly. as shown in Fig. 7, suificiently to permit the passage of the can end between the rollers.

On opposite sides of the chute and a slight distance beyond the initial curling rollers 22 and 23 are.rotatably mounted a second pair of curling rollers 26 and 27. These rollers also are rapidly rotated both in the same angular direction, which is the same as the direction of rotation of the rollers 22 and 23, by driving mechanism later described, and each roller is provided on its periphery Willi a curling groove disposed at the proper height to receive the partially curved flange of a can end that has assed between the rollers 22 and 23. Eac groove of these finishing rollers, as will be apparent from Fig. 8, preferably comprises an upwardly inclined portion '28 and an approximately semi-circular portion 29 into which the upper edge of the inclined portion 28 merges. As the can end passes from the rollers 22 and 23 into and between the second pair of rollers 26 and 27, the action of the latter pair of rollers causes the can end to again in or revolve between them until its anged end has been further curled inwardly to substantially the form shown in Fig. 8.

When this occurs the can end has been sufliciently and accurately curled, and it will pass thence between the rollers on down the chute to the stacking mechanism which will be later described. The spinning of the ends and the curling of the ed es thereof are facilitated by making one o? the rollers of each pair, preferably the rolls 22 and 26, larger than the other, thereby causing a slippage between the can ends and the rollers which aids the curling action.

Each of the curling rollers 22 and 23 is fixedly mounted upon the upper end of a shaft 31 which is journaled in a bearing hub 32 formed on an arm 33, a block 34 and washer 35 being preferably interposed between each roller and its bearing hub 32. The lower end of shaft 31 is provided with a pinion 36 which may be either secured thereto or preferably formedthereon as indicated in Fig. 3.

The arms 33 are pivoted upon stationary shafts 37 and 38 respectively mounted in suitable hearings in the table 12 and are retained in position by set screws 39 (Fig. 4). The outer end of each arm 33 is slotted. as indicated at 41, and an adjusting bolt -12 extending through this slot and upwardly through a corresponding slot 43 in the bed is adapted to adjustably lock the arm in position to maintain the curling rolls 22 and 23 the requisite distance apart. when these bolts are loosened the arms, with the curling rolls carried thereby, mav be adjusted toward and from each other, the combined lengths of the slots 41 and 43 permitting a wide range of adjustment.

Gear wheels 44 and 45 are rotatably mounted upon the lower ends of the shafts 37 and 38 respectively, and are maintained against displacement by washers -16 locked to the lower ends of their respective shafts by lag screws 47 threaded into the shafts. To the lower face of gear 44 there is secured a bevel ear 48 which meshes with and is driven y a inion 49 mounted on the main drive sha 51 which is driven through a belt and ulley (not shown) or any other suitable rive. The gear 44 is driven in a counter-clockwise direction, viewing Fig. 2, thereby driving the curling roll 22 in a clockwise direction and at hi h speed. An idler gear 52 meshing with t e ear 44 and 45 drives the gear 45 and curling roll 23 in the same angular direction as the gear 44 and curling roll 22; and the rapid revolution of these curling rolls in the same direction causes the can end engaged thereby to spin and have its edges bent inwardly to substantially the form shown in Fig. 7 before the can end passes from between the rolls.

The top 12 is provided with transverse slots 53 to rmit adjusting movements of the rolls with the arms 33. It is evident that since the arms 33 are mounted coaxially with their respective gear wheels 44 and 45, any adjusting movement of these arms and the curling rolls does not disturb the driving relation between the gears 44 and 45 and their respective driven pinions 36. Upon each of the shafts 37 and 38 there is also pivoted a rearwardly extending arm 54 which is shaped to provide a bearin 55 for a shaft 56, and is extended beyon its bearings, as indicated at 57 to receive a bolt or rod 58 tapped into the extension 57 and locked therein b a set screw 59, and extending upwardly tlirough a slot 61 which permits adjusting movements of these arms and the shafts 56 carried thereby, similar to the adjustment provided for the curling rolls.

On the lower ends of the shafts 56 there are fixedl mounted the driven ears 62 and 63 ig. 4). respectively, meshing with and driven by the gears 44 and 45. so that the shafts 56 are revolved both in the same angular direction. Upon the upper ends of the shafts 56 are mounted screwthreaded members or spirals 64 and 65 connected throu h lugs or keys 66 with their tive s afts to revolve therewith and loc ed against displacement by nuts 65' threaded onto the upper ends of the shafts 56. These spirals intercept the path of travel of the curled can ends 20 after they leave the second set of curling rolls 26 and 27, and they are spaced apart so that the ends will pass partially therebetween and be lifted by the action of the spirals as the members are revolved.

Upon each of the rods 58 there is disposed immediately above the top 12 an arm 67 provided with an elongated slot 68 and carrying at its inner end an upright rod 69, these rods being arranged to extend upwardl between and parallel with the spirals 64 an 65. The position of the rods 69 may be adjusted by moving the arms 67 into the required position with respect to their rods 58 which are threaded adjacent to the arms 67 to accommodate nuts 71, which when tightened down, clamp the arms 67 and the arm 54 in adjusted position.

Upon each rod 58, above its clamping nut 71, there is adjustably mounted another arm 72 carrying at its forward end an upwardly extending rod 73. These rods extend forwardly beyond the rods 69, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Since the rods are inclined with respect to the vertical, as will be apparent from Figs. 1 and 3, they provide above the spirals a magazine in which the can ends are stacked and from which they may be readily removed. The can ends are fed by the spirals 64 and 65 into the magazine in succession from the bottom thereof, thereby graduall raising the stack in the magazine and at e same time leaving the up er end of the stack freel accessible so-that e ends may be remov without interfering with the continued delivery of ends into the bottom of the magazine. U loosening the clam ing nut 71, the spi and the rods 73 may adjusted toward and from each other to accommodate the magazine to can ends of various diameters, and the rods 69 may also -be adjusted toward and from each other, as

well as forwardl or rearwardl to position them properly or the can en s to be supported thereby.

The machine as thus far described is substantially identical, except as to the second pair of curling rolls 26 and 27, with the machine disclosed in my aforesaid Letters Patent No. 1,499,097; and I will next proceed to describe the additional features of improvement which I have subsequently made in the aforesaid machine, and which form in the main the subject-matter claimed in the present case.

The curling rollers 22 and 23 are each keyed on an upper reduced ortion 31' of the shaft 31, and fastened to t e upper side of each roller, as by a pin 74. is a spur gear 75. The upper end of the shaft is threaded. as shown in Fig. 3. to receive a sleeve nut 76, the sleeve portion of which latter lies in a hole 77 formed through the forward end portion of a gear housing 78; a pair of such housings resting on the top 12 and 5 metrically disposed with reference to. an on opposite sides of. the feed channel. being emloyed, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. Each housing 78 has mounted therein a fixed spin dle 79 on which is rotatably mounted one of the finishing curling rollers 26 and 27 and a superposed spur gear 81 fastened to the roller as by. a pin 82. Each housing 78 also has mounted therein a fixed spindle 83 on which is rotatably mounted an idler gear 84 through which the gear 81 is driven from. and in the same angular direction as, the gear 75.

To efl'ect adjustment of the finishing rollers 26 and 27 and their respective driving gears toward and from each other, the housings 78 are formed at their rear ends with outward lateral extensions 85 provided with arcuate slots 86, through which pass clamp screws 87 tapped into holes in'the top 12. Manifestly, by loosening the bolts 42 and the clam screws 87 the two housings 78 can be a justed outwardly or inwardly and reset in perfect arallelism without disturbing the operativeness of the driving gear trains of the two sets of curling rollers.

.The means for insuring the proper engagement of the can ends with the first or preliminary set of curling rollers 22 and 23 consists, as herein shown, of a revolving circular brush 88 disposed in a vertical plane over and lengthwise of the transverse center of the feed channel and preferably midway between the rollers 22 and 23, and at such a height that its lower peripheral portion will sweep over the tops of the descending can ends and frictionally push them into, and hold themin, the grip of the rollers. This brush 88 is keyed on the inner end of a transverse shaft 89 journaled in a horizontal bearing 91 (Fig. 5) carried by a bracket 92 attached to one side of the machine bed or frame. On the outer end of shaft 89 is a pulley 93.

Keyed on shaft 51 (Fig. 5) just behind the bevel pinion 49 is a spur gear. 94 that, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, drives a spur gear 95 fast on one end of a counter-shaft 96. On the other end of counter-shaft 96 is a sprocket gear 97 (Fig, 2), that through a sprocket-chain 98, drives a sprocket gear 99 fast-on a shaft 101 journaled in a slotted ear casing 102 that is adjustably secured, by a clamp screw 103 to the side of the machine bed. Fast on shaft 101 is a pulley 104 that drives pulley 93 through a belt 105.

In the operation of the present machine, the can ends, stamped out in substantially the shape illustrated in Fig. 6 are delivered in succession from the die 19 of the die press into the upper end of the inclined chute down which they slide by gravity until they are engaged by the grooved ripheries of the preliminary pair of curling rollers 22 and 23. As each can end asses into the grip of said rollers it is frictionally engaged by the periphery of the rotating brush 88, which prevents the can end from rebounding from the rollers and insures its proper engagement by the latter. These rollers revolving rapidly in the same direction spin the can end and bend the flange thereof substantially into the shape shown in Fig. 7 and when thus bent the can end is sufiiciently reduced in diameter so that it will pass be tween the rollers under the push of the brush into engagement with the second or finishing set of curling rollers 26 and 27. Be-' tween these latter the can end is again volved and the inwardly bent fian further bent inwardly and upwardly, as illustrated in 5 and 8, produc' semi-circular curl or ben of the flange. From the finishing rollers each can end slides on down the chute into position to be picked up by the elevating screws or spirals 64 and and delivered into the lower end of the magazine where the finished can ends are evenly stacked, and from the top of which they can be manually removed.

It is believed that my invention and its inherent advantages will be understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should be manifest that the specific details of construction illustrated and deszribed are capable of considerable modification and variation without departing from the essence of the invention, or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof. Hence, I do not limit the invention to the specific forms andarrangements of the structural parts herein disclosed, except to the extent indicatedin specific claims.

I claim a h 1. n a mac ine for our flanged can ends, the combination of a b dd presenting an inclined upper face, a chute mounted u on said face along which can ends trave a primary flanging roller mounted at each side of chute, a secondary flanging roller mounted at each side-of said chute, all the said rollers being disposed in the lane of a can end in said chute, means for riving each of said primary rollers. means whereby each of said secondary rollers is driven from-its respective primary roller, gear housing-s enclosin and connected with the rollers at each side of said chute, and' means whereby said housings and the rollers connected therewith may be bodily adjusted independently of each other toward and from the center of said chute.

2. In a machine for curling flanged can ends. the combination of a bed. an inclined chute noon the upper face of said bed, primary Hanging rollers disposed on each side of said chute, means for driving said rollers, secondary flanging rollers disposed at each side of said chute, a driving connection mcluding an idler gear between the primary and secondary rollers at each side of the chute, gear housings enclosing the rollers at each side of the chute, and ineans whereby said housings, with their respective rollers, may be adjusted toward and from the center of said chute without disturbing the said driving connections 3. In a machine for curling flanged can ends. the combination of a machine bed having an inclined top, an inclined can end conducting chute extending to and along said top, a pair of peripherally grooved flange a substantially bending rollers located on opposite sides of said chute respectivel a second air of peripherally grooved ro ers similar y disposed in relation to each other and said chute be yond said first-named rollers, all of said rolleis being in the plane of a can end in said chute, a pair of gear housings located on opposite sides of the chute and adjustable toward and from the chute, each housing enclosing the rollers on one side of the chute, means mounted in said bed for driving said first-named rollers, and gear trains connecting said first-named rollers with said lastnamed rollers serving to drive the latter from and in the same direction as said firstnamed rollers.

4. In a machine for curling flanged can ends, the combination of a machine bed having an inclined top, an inclined can end conducting chute extending to and along said top, a pair of spindles mounted in said bed, peripherally grooved flange bending rollers fast on the upper ends of said spindles and located in a common plane on opposite sides of said chute respectively, means whereby each of said rollers may be adjusted independently toward and from said chute, a pair of gear housings mounted on said lop at opposite sides of said chute respectively,

a second pair of ri herall grooved rollers mounted in said gea r housings be 0nd said first-named pair of rollers, the sai housin and enclosed rollers being independently a justable toward and from said chute, and gear trains mounted in and adjustable with said housings drivingly connectin said second pair of rollers with said fist-named pair. Y

5. In a machine for our v flanged can ends, the combination of a mac 'ne bed having an inclined top, an inclined can end conducting chute extending to and along said top, a pair of spindles mounted with capacity of adjustment toward and from each other in said bed, flange bending rollers fast on the upper ends of said spindles and located on opposite sides of said chute respectively and in the plane of a can end disposed in the chute between the rollers, a pair of gear housings mounted with capacity of adustment toward and from each other on said top on opposite sides of said chute re gears rotatably mounted in said housings between and meshing with said driving and driven gears.

6. In a machine for curlin flanged can ends, the combination of a e bed having an inclined top, an inclined can end conducting chute extending to and along said top, a pair of laterall adjustable spindles mounted in said bed, ange bending rollers fast on the upper ends of 'd spindles and located in a common plane on opposite sides of said chute, respectively, a pair of gear housings dis ed on said top on opposite sides of sai chute respectively, said ear housings being formed with holes near t eir forward ends through which the it per ends of said spindles extend and with slotted extensions at their rear ends, clamp screws assed through said slotted extensions and mto said bed, a second pair of flange curling rollers mounted in said gear housings beyond said first-named pair of rollers, driving and driven gears pinned to correspondin" sides of said first-named and last-named rollers respectively, and idler gears rotatably mounted in said housing between and meshing with said driving and driven ears.

7. In a machine for curling'flange can ends, the combination of an inclined can end conducting chute, a pair of peripherally grooved flange bending rollers rotatably mounted in the same plane on opposite sides of said chute respectively, means for driving said rollers, a cirpular brush disposed in a vertical plane over and lengthwise of the transverse center of said chute, the periphery of said brush operating, through a frictional drag on the tops of said can ends, to successively urge them into the grip of said rollers, and means for driving said brush.

8. In a machine for curling flanged can ends, the combination of an inclined can end conducting chute, a pair of peripherally grooved flange bending rollers rotatably mounted in the same plane on-op osite sides of said chute respectively, a sha journaled above and transversely of said chute. a circular brush fast on said shaft and disposed lengthwise of the transverse center of said chute for sweeping said can ends successively into the grip of said rollers, a drive shaft. power transmitting mechanism from said drive shaft to said rollers, and power transmitting mechanism from said drive shaft to said brush shaft.

WILLIAM CAMERON. 

